Radiation Therapy Exacerbates Tumor-Promoting Innervation and Nerve Signaling in Rectal Cancer.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

Many solid tumors present with perineural invasion (PNI), and innervation correlates with worsened prognosis. The effects that commonly administered therapies such as radiation therapy (RT) have on PNI status remain unknown. We investigated the contribution of RT on the nervous system and elucidated the implications that increased nerve signaling can have on tumor burden using our previously developed orthotopic murine model of rectal cancer (RC) and our targeted and clinically relevant short-course RT (SCRT) regimen.

Methods

Medical charts for patients with RC treated at the Wilmot Cancer Institute were obtained and PNI status was analyzed. Human data were accompanied by an orthotopic murine model of RC. Briefly, luciferase-expressing murine colon-38 (MC38-luc) tumo

SUBMITTER: Uccello TP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9898185 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature